


When You Smile At Me You Know Exactly What You Do

by acindra



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 10:46:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11102958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acindra/pseuds/acindra
Summary: “I don’t think I have the stamina for 'all the time' but I’m glad you’re optimistic about our sex life.”(Jeremy and Michael go to the county fair)





	When You Smile At Me You Know Exactly What You Do

It was a clear summer night as Michael pulled into the fairgrounds parking lot.

In his passenger seat, Jeremy was barely holding himself together, fidgeting and looking at the lights peeking between the barrier of trees.

Michael was not much better; the county fair was always one of the highlights of the summer.

The boys glanced at each other and grinned.

“You ready for this?” Michael asked, turning off the engine.

“As I’ll ever be.” Jeremy replied.

“Maybe this year you won’t throw up on the boat.”

“Hey! I’ll have you know I have never thrown up on the boat. I have thrown up because of the boat, but not on it.”

“Semantics. The important part is the boat. And the vomit.”

“Ugh.”

“That’s what I said last year!”

“And every year before that. Maybe we should just not go on the boat this year.”

“What? No! It’s an integral part of the fair, we have to go on the boat.”

“Can we at least go on it last?”

Michael hummed in agreement as he got out of the car, muttering, “I don’t want to kiss you after you vomit anyways.”

“What did you say?” Jeremy asked, also getting out of the car.

“Huh? Oh. Just that we gotta fill you up with funnel cake so you can blow chunks.”

Jeremy pouted at him.

Michael ran a hand over his face. “Aw, hell, don’t do that- it’s not fair!”

“It is, too, a fair.” Jeremy replied, walking toward the entrance path, spreading his arms and laughing softly.

“Ha ha, very funny.”

“I thought so.” he said, looking over his shoulder to stick his tongue out at Michael. He bounced along the pathway happily, stopping every so often to let Michael catch up.

Michael followed more sedately, allowing himself to live in the fantasy that this was actually a date for a few moments.

“Come oooon, hurry up.” Jeremy goaded, finally at one of the gates. He undid the latch as Michael sidled up to him and flung the gate open, narrowly missing his own face.

“Whoa, careful.” Michael steadied Jeremy, who had stumbled backwards.

“Sorry, sorry. I guess I’m a little excited.”

“Gee, really?” Michael teased. “I didn’t notice.”

Jeremy didn’t let it get to him as he entered the fairgrounds.

Michael re-latched the gate but was distracted watching Jeremy take in the bright lights of the fair so it took him a couple tries to get it right.

They made their way down to where the fair games were set up.

The fair was relatively empty, as it had only just started, but the vendors were all set up and the tinkle of music and the smell of fried foods floated around them happily.

“Michael, look they have the duck shooting game!” Jeremy exclaimed, pointing excitedly at one of the booths.

“I bet I can get a higher score than you.”

“Hah! As if.”

They arrived at the booth and paid the requisite amount to the attendant.

Jeremy grabbed the gun and took aim.

It took everything in Michael to wait and watch instead of cajoling or pushing at him to break his concentration.

Jeremy managed to hit a respectful 9 ducks.

“What would you like?” the attendant asked, waving at the 5-10 point section of prizes tacked on the wall of the booth.

Jeremy grinned deviously. “I want those.” he said, pointing.

The attendant handed him a white bear ear headband set.

Jeremy turned to Michael, his smile stupidly wide.

“What are you- argh.” Michael didn’t have the chance to protest as Jeremy veritably pounced on him to settle the bear ears on his head.

Pulling away, Jeremy took in Michael’s appearance.

Instead of the laughter Michael had expected, Jeremy turned away, muttering “Fuck” with feeling.

“What? Do I not look good enough for you?”

Jeremy’s face contorted but he quickly schooled his features. “I uh. I just realized you’re probably going to win.”

Michael laughed, grabbing the gun. “Here’s to hoping.” As he looked to the booth so he could take his turn, he didn’t notice Jeremy’s eyes lingering over his face and the bear ears, a bright blush spreading over his face. In a stroke of luck he managed to get 11 ducks. “Hah!” he crowed his victory, pointing at Jeremy. “See, I told you! I’m too cool to lose.” he said posing with the gun against his shoulder.

Jeremy shook himself and smiled, even as he complained, “Aw man, you suck. I bet I would have won if I hadn’t gone first.”

“Please. You can’t beat my mad skillz.” Michael informed him, winking and then turning to the attendant to pick a prize.

Jeremy blushed furiously and buried his face in his hands for a couple seconds so Michael wouldn’t see. When he looked back up, it was to be confronted with a fluffy wall of fur. He jerked back slightly and realized Michael was holding a stuffed panda up in front of his face. “Aw, that’s adorable.”

“Good. I’m glad you like it.” Michael said, nodding, as he shoved the panda into Jeremy’s hands. “I was hoping they’d have a polar bear but no such luck. But! A bear’s a bear.”

Jeremy wrapped his fingers around the panda, confused.

Michael kept pushing the stuffed animal insistently at him until he actually took it from him.

“I’m not going to carry your bear around the fair all night.”Jeremy informed him.

“I don’t expect you to. I expect you to carry your bear around the fair all night.”

“You’re giving this to me?”

“Duh. Keep up, dumbass.” Michael told him, distractedly looking around for the next thing he wanted to do.

Jeremy looked down at the bear with its splotched face and tiny eyes and felt an indescribable warmth fill him. “Thanks.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m an amazing, giving person, I know. Let’s go do the hacky sack toss next.”

Jeremy happily gave the panda a squeeze before he followed Michael through the crowd to the hacky sack toss booth.

It turned out they were both pretty shitty at throwing hacky sacks, though this wasn’t a particular surprise as they had tried this booth in previous years.

They both scored in the lowest point bracket and received glowstick bracelets for their trouble.

Michael wore his with the rest of his bracelets on his left wrist while Jeremy wore his on his right wrist.

They migrated to another duck booth, but this one was a game of luck instead of shooting skill. The goal of the game was to get a certain number of points by flipping three ducks over, the ducks having numbers on their bottoms.

Michael managed to get three ducks that all had ones on them.

“Rotten luck.” the attendant told him, giving him a sheet of unicorn stickers.

Jeremy, on the other hand, landed a solid seventeen, which won him a unicorn backpack. He blanched when he saw what he had won, but accepted the backpack from the attendant all the same. He turned to Michael who took a step back and held up his hands.

“You’re not pawning it off on me.” he looked down at the backpack then back up to Jeremy and grinned. “Besides its eyes match your sweater.”

Jeremy turned it around and noted that the eyes were, indeed, the same blue of his sweater. “Fiiiine.” he said with a very put-upon sigh. He secretly was very happy he had won something and he liked the design of the unicorn, but he knew if he ever wore it and was seen by his peers he would be picked on.

Even if his previous bullies were now his friends.

He unzipped the backpack and slid the panda in so its body was inside the bag but its head stuck out, then slung it over his shoulder. He knew his other friends weren’t planning on attending the fair until the next day, so he was relatively comfortable wearing it right now, but once he got home it would probably never leave his closet shelf.

He turned to Michael again and was startled by a hand in front of his face.

Michael managed to get the unicorn sticker onto Jeremy’s cheek before he startled back. He laughed at the disgruntled look on Jeremy’s face.

Jeremy reached up to take off the sticker but Michael caught his hands first.

“No! Leave it!”

“What? No. Why would I-”

“Please.” Michael begged, making a pouty face.

“No.”

“Pweeeaassse?” he stuck out his lower lip and pretended like he was about to cry.

“Ugh.” Jeremy rolled his eyes. “Fine! I’ll leave it if you stop making that face.” he said, reaching over to poke Michael’s lower lip.

Michael immediately dropped the sad expression for a grin. “Yes! Thank you!” He came forward and for a second it seemed as if he was going to kiss Jeremy’s cheek over the sticker but instead brought him in for a hug. “I promise I’ll remind you to take it off when we get home.” He took that opportunity to slide the sheet of stickers into the backpack.

“Ok, ok. What’s next?” Jeremy asked, pushing him away.

Michael looked around until he finally found a booth they hadn’t been to. “I think the last game we haven’t done is the water shooting one.”

They made their way over and stood in the line that had formed for the booth.

The object of the game was to get the most water weight into the machine. It was a competition between five people so the line went pretty quickly.

“We should get food after this, I’m kinda hungry.” Michael said.

“Me too. Funnel cake?”

“Hell yeah! Getting anything else would be a crime against county fairs!”

“Should we get something else in addition to that or ?”

“Nah. The night is young. If the lines aren’t too long, we’ll probably be out in an hour. We could always get more food or like go to Denny’s or something.” Michael reasoned.

“You make a good point.”

“I always do.”

Jeremy stuck his tongue out at him.

Michael snorted. “Careful what you do with that tongue of yours, Jeremy. Someone might try to catch it.” he said with a wink.

The attendant calling for the next set of people drew his attention away before he could see the blush on Jeremy’s face again.

They took their positions at the water guns and thirty seconds later the game was up. They were thoroughly trounced by a little girl who looked to be about five. They were given the consolation prize of small plastic water guns.

“Hey, can we get these filled up?” Michael asked the attendant.

Jeremy was distracted from the answer by a tug on his sweater’s sleeve. He looked down to see the girl that had beat them holding the t-rex doll she had won.

“I like your backpack, mister.” She told him, smiling a blinding smile at him then running off to where her parents were waiting for her.

Jeremy smiled after her and was startled by Michael’s hand prying his water gun from his hand. He turned his attention back to Michael and was given a filled water gun.

Before he had actively made the decision, he was raising the gun and shooting water at Michael’s face, then he was booking it across the field.

“Hey that’s not fair, Jeremy!” Michael called after him.

The ensuing chase lasted five minutes, with several casualties and shoved people, before the water in their guns ran out.

When Michael finally caught up to Jeremy they were both panting heavily and Michael was holding a stitch in his side.

“How do you run that fast- you’re like a freaking gazelle!” Michael gasped out.

Jeremy gave a breathless laugh, bracing himself on his knees. “Long legs?”

“More like long-” Michael waved his hand up and down vaguely.

“Cat got your tongue?” Jeremy teased.

“I’ll get your tongue!” Michael threatened.

Jeremy snorted. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“You know what I meant.” he complained.

Jeremy straightened up and looked around; they were on the edge of the gaming booths. “Come on let’s go get some funnel cake!” He exclaimed, grabbing Michael’s wrist and tugging him along.

“Ow my side!” Michael continued to complain, but gave up when it fell on deaf ears. Then he realized Jeremy was holding his wrist as he dragged him through the crowd.

It would be so easy for him to turn his hand over and clasp them together.

But he wouldn’t- he would be happy with the contact he was given.

They wove between people for a few minutes before they found the end of the line for one of the food kiosks that had a banner that read FUNNEL CAKE in bold red letters.

Jeremy didn’t let go of Michael’s wrist, just hopped a little in line to see over the heads to see how many people were in front of them.

Reluctantly, Michael suggested, “Hey, why don’t I go get in the drinks line and we’ll meet at one of the benches?”

Jeremy nodded. “Sounds good.”

There was a pause.

“I’m gonna need my arm back.” Michael finally remarked.

Jeremy blinked, then let go, blushing, but Michael couldn’t find it in him to make fun of him because he, too, was blushing.

“See you in a bit.”

The line for drinks was a lot longer, but took less time to get through because nothing needed to be cooked.

Michael made his way to the designated eating tent, with park benches set up in uniform rows inside.

He snagged a free table and sat down, observing the people around him.

There was upbeat music playing from somewhere he couldn’t see but he did see a group of young children at the other end of the tent dancing to it while their families ate. There were cute couples of kids probably his age wandering around being lovey dovey and feeding each other shaved ice or holding hands or taking a break to flirt with each other.

It made his heart hurt to see them.

He had been low-key pretending this was a date with Jeremy since they’d arrived but seeing what could have been (but probably wouldn’t) made him remember that this very much was not a date.

He had even convinced (and bribed) all of Jeremy’s new friends (and subsequently, his new friends, but he was still getting used to that) to go to the fair on the next night so it wouldn’t be a group outing.

Thinking about it now, he was probably being ridiculous.

Jeremy wasn’t the type of person to criticize someone for their feelings, but at the same time he was kind of transparent about his own feelings and there had been little to no indication that Jeremy was into him.

Or, rather, the signs that were there were easily construed as super close friendship.

But he was optimistic and held hope close to his chest, both in this situation and in his life in general.

And he was getting sick of hiding his feelings. It felt like he was stifling a part of himself.

Besides, life was short.

He bolstered his resolve. He would tell Jeremy.

Tonight.

“Found you!” Came a voice from behind him and he turned to see the object of his affections approaching with a plate of funnel cake.

He’d tell him.

Jeremy settled down next to him, his legs bumping against Michael's.

He’d tell him. Just... not right now.

Later.

“The lady who I got the funnel cake from gave us extra powdered sugar because she liked the unicorn sticker.” Jeremy informed him, grinning.

“Score!” Michael fist pumped.

They dug in, their fingers, the table, and their clothes quickly becoming covered in a thin layer of powdered sugar.

Halfway through, Michael glanced over at Jeremy and snorted at what he saw.

The tip of Jeremy’s nose was covered in powdered sugar like he had dipped it in.

Jeremy looked up from his piece of funnel cake. “What is it?”

Michael leaned over and licked the sugar off his nose before he could convince himself it was a bad idea.

Jeremy scrunched up his face. “What’d you do that for?”

Michael shrugged, laughing, and tried to play it off. “To see your reaction.”

“Rude.” Jeremy nudged him with his shoulder, wiping at his nose and streaking more powdered sugar across his face.

“Also your face tastes gross.” Michael told him.

“My nose, maybe. But then- you aren’t getting any sugar from me.” Jeremy joked, tapping his lips.

“You absolute heartbreaker, Jeremy Heere.” Michael clutched at his chest in mock pain.

Jeremy laughed and Michael found him joining in despite himself.

They finished up their funnel cake and drinks and headed back out of the tent, brushing all of the powdered sugar off.

“Oh! We should get our faces painted!” Michael said, spotting a smaller tent.

“Isn’t that for kids?”

“No! Well, yes. But it’s not juuust for kids.”

“Well what do you want to get done?”

Michael hummed thoughtfully as they made their way over to the tent. “Let’s get rainbows.” he said, pointing to the rainbow patch on the left shoulder of his hoodie.

“No way, man. I’m already wearing a unicorn backpack and a unicorn sticker. We’re just going to get called gay.”

“So?” Michael asked, frowning. “I am gay, remember?”

“I know that.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”

“I know that, too. I’m not saying there is- I just don’t want to be made fun of.”

“None of them are here, though.” he pointed out. “It’s just you, me, and a crowd of strangers we’re never going to see again. Loosen up.”

Jeremy bit his lip and Michael hated how much that affected him.

“You don’t have to get a rainbow. It was just a suggestion.”

Jeremy slowly shook his head. “No. You’re right. I’m being stupid and overreacting.”

“Well. It’s not unprecedented.” Michael conceded.

“I wish I could be like you, Michael.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re just… so… calm about everything.” Jeremy avoided using the word “chill” but shuddered all the same when he thought it.

Michael laughed. “I’m really not. I’m just good at hiding that I’m an anxious wreck.”

“You’re a damn professional, apparently.”

“You flatter me.” Michael grinned.

“Alright. Let’s go get our faces painted!”

In the end, Jeremy did get a rainbow, positioned so it looked like the unicorn was standing on top of it.

Michael’s rainbow came from a cloud on his cheek and went back to his ear.

Jeremy, who had finished first, put the small “sparkle” stickers that came with the unicorns around the rainbow on Michael’s face.

“Now what?” Michael asked, looking around.

“Let’s go on a ride.”

“Really? You just ate the funnel cake, you want to throw it up already?”

“We said we’d go on the boat last. No, I want to go on the ferris wheel.”

“Oh, ok. Sure.”

The ferris wheel was set a ways apart from the rest of the fair. It was nice for them to get a little fresh air away from the droves of people.

The line was virtually non-existent as it had only just turned dark.

They sat in their gondola and soon were being raised up into the night sky.

Michael swallowed heavily.

Now was the perfect time. If he could just open his mouth so he could admit his feelings.

Jeremy didn’t notice his sudden silence, awed by the sight of their town laid out before them, all sparkly eyed.

He took Michael’s breath away.

Which didn’t really help him in his mission.

Before he could tamp down on the impulse, Michael threw an arm around Jeremy’s shoulders.

“Michael?” Jeremy asked, turning away from the side of the gondola to look at him. “What are you doing?”

“Just- just let me have this for a minute before I ruin our friendship forever.”

Jeremy blinked. “Wait what?”

“Jeremy, please? Just let me have this.”

He swallowed, and Michael watched his adam’s apple bob. “Alright?”

After a few seconds, he settled back and leaned into Michael’s arm.

Michael pulled him closer until his head was leaning against his shoulder. He allowed himself to relish the giddy feeling that came with touching him. He tried to memorize everything around them, the sounds, the smells, and how it felt to hold Jeremy. He took a deep breath. “Ok.”

“Ok?”

“Yeah. Sorry I was being weird.”

But he noted that Jeremy made no intent to move away from him.

“Why would cuddling ruin our friendship?” Jeremy asked, picking at one of the patches on the hem of Michael’s hoodie. “I mean, I know we don’t very often, but I’m not against it, yanno? Is that what’s wrong?”

“No! It’s. I… I don’t just want to cuddle.”

That got Jeremy attention.

He picked his head up from Michael’s shoulder so he could look him in the eyes. “Well, what do you want, then, Michael?”

Michael bit at his lip. He could do this.

What did he want? That was easy.

“Um. W-well. I want.” he took a deep breath. “I want… you.” He flinched at the shocked expression on Jeremy’s face.

The urge to backpedal was too great so he opened his mouth again, but the sound that came out was a garbled mess because he couldn’t articulate exactly how much of a mistake it was to admit his feelings.

“Really?” Jeremy asked, eyes shining. “You’re not playing a joke on me?”

Michael clamped his mouth shut and shook his head. He was confused when a pleased smile broke out over Jeremy’s face.

“I- I want you, too.” he admitted.

“Wait- what?”

“I want you, Michael Mell.” Jeremy announced, confidently.

Michael stammered then shook himself. “Really?”

“Really. Um. I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you for a while, actually.”

“I bribed your friends to not come today.” Michael blurted.

“Why?”

“So I could pretend we were on a date.” he whispered.

Jeremy looked dumbfounded. Then he burst out laughing. His laughter was infectious and soon Michael was laughing, too. “Oh my god, Michael. You’re so extra.”

“This coming from the person who swallowed a computer so he could be cool.”

He wrinkled his nose. “True. Wait so what is the cuddling about?”

Michael smiled sheepishly. “I wanted to know what it was like to hold you in my arms once.”

Jeremy looked like he had seen an adorable kitten. “Awww. That’s so sweet.”

Michael pouted. “Don’t make fun of me.”

He shook his head. “I’m not, I swear. That’s really, genuinely, sweet.” He swore. “But you know what’s sweeter?”

“What?”

“My face.” he replied, leaning closer so he could press a chaste kiss against Michael’s lips. “Whaddaya know. You got some sugar from me after all.”

Michael stared at him for a couple seconds then burst out laughing again. “Jeremy, you are absolutely awful.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.” He challenged.

Jeremy grabbed both sides of Michael’s face, minding the rainbow paint, and kissed him soundly.

They were still kissing a couple minutes later when there was a tap on their shoulders.

“Sorry kids, but there are other people in line.” The attendant told them.

They stumbled out of the gondola, blushing but holding hands.

“What do you want to do next?” Jeremy asked, leading Michael back to the main part of the fair.

“Find somewhere to kiss you some more?” Michael suggested, his eyes on their clasped hands. He was having a hard time believing this was really happening.

“You can keep it in your pants for another hour or two, Michael.”

“But I don’t want to.” He complained.

“Listen. This is our first official date- we are dating right?”

“Yes? Yes.”

“Our first official date- so we’re going to actually date. Not just-” he waved his hands vaguely, “-get off on each other. Plus the fair is only here for the weekend, we can do-” he waved his hands vaguely again “-whatever, anytime, all the time, now.”

“I don’t think I have the stamina for “all the time” but I’m glad you’re optimistic about our sex life.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes. “What about the petting zoo?”

“Why go to a petting zoo when you could “pet” me.” Michael replied, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Gross.” Jeremy said, shoving at Michael’s shoulder with his free hand.

“I’m dressed as a bear.” Michael told him, pointing to the bear ear headband Jeremy had put on him earlier. “What did you think I meant?” he asked, innocently.

“Now who’s being awful?”

“At least we can be awful together.”

“Together.” Jeremy repeated, nodding.

The petting zoo was swamped with children but they managed to play with a couple bunnies for a little while and Michael cooed over the goat kids in the pen over.

“Ok we can leave now,” Jeremy announced as they brushed straw off of their clothes.

“But we still haven’t done the boat ride.” Michael protested half heartedly.

“Do you really want me to throw up that much?”

“I mean, it’s funny. So yes.”

“Hmm. But Michael,” he beseeched, trailing a finger down Michael’s headphones’ cord, “we can’t make out if I throw up.”

Michael swallowed. “Good point, well made. Let’s blow this popsicle joint.” he said, grabbing Jeremy’s hand and dragging him back toward the entrance.

Jeremy smirked. “That’s not all we can blow.” he muttered to Michael so no one around them could hear.

Michael blushed and began to walk faster.

Later Michael would find Jeremy had nabbed the glowstick bracelet from his wrist, connected it with his own, and attached them to the rear view mirror in his car, but for now he was too preoccupied with Jeremy to notice much of anything much at all.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this fic, please check out the other 30 BMC fics I've written!
> 
> [ Art by Meef Beef! ](http://wtf-alexandra.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [ Art by Grayscaleeternity! ](http://grayscaleeternity.tumblr.com/post/162452392434/drew-some-fanart-for-this-fic-askjdasjd)
> 
> Feel free to hit me up on tumblr ([ acindra ](http://acindra.tumblr.com))- I also made a crocheted doll of [ Michael! ](http://acindra.tumblr.com/post/161391774925)
> 
> [ Bonus George Salazar and Michael!Doll pic ](https://twitter.com/georgesalazar/status/880209460962185216)


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